Lock



c. B. LowE 12,39,244

LOCK

Filed Dec. 18, 1951 INVENTOR 'A TTOR/VEY Patented Apr. 28, 1936 LOCKCharles B. Lowe, Stamford, Conn., assignor to The Yale & Towne Mfg. 00.,Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 18,1931, Serial No. 581,888

6 Claims. (Cl. 7046) This invention relates to looks, and especially tocylinder locks adapted to be retained within a lock housing for lockingoperation in said housing.

Of recent years, it has become increasingly more desirable to arrangelocking cylinders so that they can be readily inserted into and out ofthe housings in which they operate. This is especially so in theautomobile business wherein it is desirable to be able to servicelocking de vices by simply removing them from the locking housing andinserting new mechanisms. There is also a demand for such devices inlooks adapted for houses and offices.

My invention contemplates the use of a looking cylinder which is adaptedto be maintained by a retainer within a locking housing. The retainer isadapted to be operated so that the cylinder may be removed from thelocking housing at the will of the owner. In order to control theremoval 'ofthe cylinder from the housing, so that it cannot be donesurreptitiously, and to prevent the removal except by one having theproper key for the lock, I so arrange my mechanism that it is necessaryto rotate the usual looking plug of the cylinder to a definite positionbefore the retainer may be depressed or otherwise operated for theremoval of the cylinder.

It is a further object of 'my invention to so arrange the retainer forthe cylinder, that the retainer will function to retain the keyoperating plug within the cylinder, while at the same time, retainingthe cylinder in the locking housing.

For a detailed description of my invention, I shall refer to thedrawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a front view of a. cylinder showing myinvention applied thereto. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively side and rearviews of the cylinder of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section takenlongitudinally of my cylinder showing the key plug and the retainingmechanism adapted to retain the housing within a lock housing. Fig. 5shows the operation wherein the retainer is operated to release thecylinder from its housing. Fig. 6 shows a key plug constituting thecontrolling element of my retainer mechanism. Fig. '7 is a view showingthe retainer and tumbler maintaining plate. Fig. 8 is a view of theretainer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my invention comprisesa cylinder lock I0 having a key operated plug I I equipped with theusual tumbler mechanism cooperable with the usual drivers maintained inthe driver chambers into a housing I3 shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Rotationof the key plug I I relatively to the cylinder, while the cylinder ismaintained in the housing, will control the cam I4 or other means so asto operate any required mechanism in a manner well known to thoseskilled in the art. For maintaining the cylinder within the housing I3,I utilize, preferably, a retainer bolt I5 which may be spring-pressed,and having a flange I6 against which a spring I! operates to press theretainer in an outward direction from the cylinder. A plate I8 shown inFig. 7 is adapted to lie within the grooved portion I9 of the cylinder,soas to cooperate with the flange I6 of the retainer bolt I5 to limitoutward movement of the retainer bolt from the cylinder. The plate I8may also be utilized to retain the drivers in the driver chambers I2 ina manner well known in the art; this feature being not shown more fullysince it forms no part of the present inven tion.

The retainer bolt I5 has a lower shaft portion 2!] which extends into agroove 20a in the key plug II, while the head of the retainer boltextends into the bore 2| in the cylinder lock housing I3. Thus, theretainer bolt I5 maintains the cylinder in the housing, while at thesame time maintaining the plug II in the cylinder.

As will be readily appreciated from an examination of the drawing, it isimpossible in the position of Fig. 4, to move the retainer bolt I5entirely into the cylinder and out of the housing bore 2|, so that thecylinder may be removed from the housing, due to the obstructing actionof the body of plug II. However, the key plug I I has a bore 22 whichmay be moved into alignment with the lower shaft portion 20 of theretainer bolt I5 by key operation of the plug. When the bore 22 is thusaligned with the shaft portion 2|, it will be possible to utilize thetool 24 to depress the retainer bolt against pressure of the spring I?and entirely out of the retainer bore 2I of the cylinder housing I3 asis shown in Fig. 5. It will then be possible to remove the cylinder fromthe housing, and to reinsert a new cylinder set to a particular desiredkey.

The operation of my device will be clear from the description set forth,it having been demonstrated that the retainer bolt will normally retainthe cylinder within its housing, and the key plug within the cylinder, aparticular operation of the key plug II acting to permit operation ofthe retainer bolt, thus liberating the cylinder for movement out of itshousing. While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, itshould be understood that modifications of the same will readily occurto those skilled in the art, and I do not wish the scope of my patentmonopoly to be limited except as defined by the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. In a lock housing, a cylinder, a key operated plug in said cylinder,means movably mounted relatively to the cylinder and plug operating toretain the plug in said cylinder and the cylinder in the housing, andmeans controlled by the plug for preventing movement of said retainermeans to a position where said cylinder may be removed from saidhousing.

2. In a lock housing, a cylinder, a key operated plug, a single meansmovably mounted relatively to the cylinder and plug and adapted toretain the plug in said cylinder and the cylinder in said housing, saidmeans being operable to permit release of the cylinder from saidhousing.

3. In a lock housing, a cylinder, a key operated plug in said cylinder,and a spring pressed plunger cooperable with the plug to maintain thesame in the cylinder, said plunger being cooperable also with thehousing to maintain the cylinder within the housing.

4. In a lock housing, a cylinder, a key operated plug in said cylinder,a retainer operable to retain the cylinder in the housing, and the plugin the cylinder, said retainer movably mounted relatively to thecylinder and plug and being operable to release the cylinder for removalfrom the housing, the plug being operable to control the operation ofthe retainer to release position.

5. In a lock housing, a cylinder, a key plug in said cylinder, aretainer cooperable with the cylinder and housing to maintain thecylinder in said housing, means whereby the retainer may be operatedfrom outside the housing for releasing the cylinder from the housing,and means controlled by the key operation of said plug for blocking themovement of the retainer to release position.

6. In a lock housing, a cylinder, a key plug in said cylinder, aretainer carried by said cylinder and cooperable with the housing tomaintain the cylinder in the housing, a part of said retainer beingcooperable with the key plug for maintaining the same in the cylinder,said retainer being depressible to release the cylinder from thehousing, means on said plug obstructing the depression of the retainer,said plug being key operable to remove said obstructing portion andpermit release operation of the retainer.

CHARLES B. LOWE.

